Healing Herbs
Blood Lotus: Hallucinogenic, apparently soporific. And then it’s used in a bunch of grenades and a couple poisons, so that doesn’t imply anything great about its safety. * Elfroot: “The roots can be used with very little preparation. Rubbing some of the juice on a wound, for example, will speed up healing and numb pain. And chewing on a slice of root treats minor ailments like indigestion, flatulence, and hoarse throats.” Primary ingredient in healing and regeneration potions. Also apparently enhances other beneficial potions, such as antivenom, mana potions, and the curative elixir for the Kos Gwern plague. * Spindleweed: Popular folk remedy, used in elemental resistance potions. Used as a “seasoning for dishes meant to speed the recovery of the infirm”. Specific for “afflictions of the lungs”. * Foxmint: Mentioned as popular for a “troublesome gut”. * Deep Mushroom: “The most common varieties used in the herbalist’s trade are the Blightcap, Ghoul’s Mushroom, and Brimstone Mushroom.” Frequently carry but do not transmit Blood Sworne Bane, and are thus usually toxic. Components in a wide variety of potions, tonics, and grenades. Can be consumed to regain stamina. * Embrium: Aromatherapeutic, specific for illnesses of the lungs. Used to upgrade a wide variety of potions and tonics. * Rashvine: Causes irritation on contact with the skin, with more severe exposure leading to red sores, greyed skin, and “skin calcification”. Used in preparations to harden the skin and otherwise offer protection. * Crystal Grace: Treats injuries in some unspecified way. * Dragonthorn: “Alchemists have known for centuries that an extract of dragonthorn leaves will enhance and stabilize other, more volatile magical compounds.” So it’s a fixative–possibly it would act as a preservative or fixative in non-magical compounds as well. * Witherstalk: Useful when fresh to prevent conception, makes a “warming draught”, apparently also has unspecified effects on the mind. * Prophet’s Laurel: “Purifying”. Detoxification? Used in poultices, tinctures, and incense. * Ginger: A remedy for gassiness, a tea made from cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to help her headaches. Ginger is used for a variety of stomach problems from indigestion to nausea, and is often used to fight infection and, usually as a tea, to treat colds and sore throats. * Mustard seed: 'Powdered mustard seed is traditionally used by mixing it with water to form a paste, spreading that paste on cloth, and using it as a poultice to increase blood flow to the desired area of the body, to help treat ailments ranging from arthritis to indigestion. * 'Cloves: Used in tea for headaches. antiseptic, anti-flatulent, very strong local anesthetic (cloves and clove oil are often used for tooth ache and mouth sores). * Lavender: ' Put in pillows to encourage sleep, aromatherpeutic for reducing stress and headaches. * 'Black pepper: ' Stimulates digestion, anti-microbial, helps preserve food. * 'Elderberry: Elderberries are very high in vitamin C, and are often dried as a winter source of the vitamin. Also common in teas and syrups to boost the immune system and fight colds and flu. * Sage: Used as a mouth rinse or in tooth powders for gum inflammation and oral health. Used in hair rinses to add shine to dark hair. Popular cure-all type herb in several cultures. * Onions: Onions are found frequently in places where cooking ingredients are laid out; Rotten Onion is a Feastday Prank gift in Origins. Real-world: onion syrup is used to fight colds and as an expectorant (loosens mucus in the lungs so it can be effectively coughed up). Onion poultices on the chest are used for the same thing. Antiviral and reputed to be good for the heart. * Garlic: Classic cure-all, with antibiotic, antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Used to treat cold and flu, preserve food, treat warts, support/improve heart health, roughly a million other things.